The Temptation Within Us
by Simply Rexene
Summary: Sequel to The Beast in the Basement. Kairi and Vanitas have finally recovered from the shooting, and are moving forward with their lives. However... one person in particular seems hell-bent on ruining their relationship for good.


**A/N:** Omg it's been wayyy too long since I worked on this story. I know a lot of you have been waiting for this for a longgg time, so… here it is! Part Two: The Temptation Within Us, the sequel to The Beast in the Basement.

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 **Chapter Thirty-One**

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"Van, did you remember to pick up your suit yesterday?" I sat Reagan down in her high-chair as I rushed around the kitchen to get lunch ready for everybody.

"Yes, Kairi… I told you that three times already. It's hanging safely in our closet next to your dress and the kid's outfits. Why are you panicking so much?"

I sighed as the doorbell rang and Eli took off for it, nearly falling when he hit the carpeting of the living room, "Grab your son before he cracks his head open please!" I told Vanitas, running to the front door.

"Kairi!" I squeaked as I was suddenly enveloped in a huge hug.

"Nora… so nice to see you again…" I mumbled against her shoulder, letting Van's mother squeeze the life out of me.

She finally let me go and pushed her way inside, "I feel like it's been forever!"

"Actually, the twins' first birthday party was only a few months ago…" I reminded her, but the moment Van walked out with Elijah, she stopped listening to me and started showering him in kisses.

Van's dad walked in, throwing me an apologetic look before giving me a quick hug and moving on to see Eli. "God, he's getting big… Where's Reagan?"

"Oh, I just had her in her high chair… we can't really let her run around like we do with him," I sighed, going back to the kitchen to bring her out.

"So there hasn't been any improvement with her vision?" he asked me, taking her out of my arms immediately.

I sighed, "Nope… she's completely blind. But other than that, her development is back on track. She's been making more noises lately. Not as many words as Eli, but she's getting there. We've been working with her a lot to sound out small words."

"Good, good… Can you say Papa, Reagan? C'mon… say Papa for me," he whisked her away to the couch.

"Van, be a dear and get our bags from the car, won't you? And don't forget our garment bags from the back seat," his mother told him, plucking Eli from his arms and taking him to the couch as well.

I followed him outside, "I don't understand why your parents had to stay with us for the entire week…"

"They just want to help out before the wedding… Mom knows you'll have a lot to get done and she wanted to relieve some of the pressure on you."

"But… they're so pushy…" I whined, grateful that they'd at least be in the basement.

He chuckled, grabbing their suitcases while I got the garment bags, "You can handle it. It's one week. Besides, aren't you excited to finally get married?"

"Of course I am… I just didn't expect it to turn into such a big production! Hell, my wedding with Sora was a tiny little ceremony…"

"That I wasn't invited to…" he mumbled, "Either way, it's going to be such a fun day, Kai. I can't wait to call you my wife."

As we walked into the house, I headed for the basement to put their stuff in Van's old room. "I can't believe the twins are already 15 months old… It was smart to wait to have the wedding when they were a little older. Reagan is going to look so cute in her little dress!"

"And Eli will be dashingly handsome in his little tux," Van chuckled, "Jeez, it feels like forever since I've been down here… …You changed the sheets on my old bed, right?"

"Of course I did," I giggled, "After what we did to them?"

Suddenly I was wrapped up in his arms, "Fond memories… I can't wait for our honeymoon. It'll be our first time away from the kids for more than a few hours since they were born."

"I'd love to have some alone time… but I'm still worried about leaving them for an entire two weeks…" I frowned, not looking forward to that part. Especially with little Rea, "I mean, our daughter is handicapped… I don't know if my parents will understand how to take care of her…"

"Honey, do you really think that anybody would ever let anything happen to our angel? They'll be just fine… your parents raised you, and I think they did a wonderful job."

I smiled and turned to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck, "You're full of it… And I must say, I'm definitely excited to finally be alone together. I can't remember the last time we…"

"Yeah… I know."

We'd tried quite a few times since I snapped out of my amnesia, but every time we were just getting into it one of the twins would start screaming. Eventually we just gave up on trying to have sex… I knew that our honeymoon would be amazing, but I still couldn't help but worry about the twins.

"You know… we _are_ alone down here… Your parents are so wrapped up in the kids that they won't even notice if we're down here for a few extra minutes," I grinned up at him, stretching onto my toes to press a soft kiss against his neck.

"Damn, Kairi…" he mumbled, melting instantly.

I giggled as he turned us and tossed me down on the freshly made bed, crawling over me with his sexy-as-ever body. My stomach was fluttering like it was our first time together all over again… Except that our first time was a hate-filled ragefuck. Still, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

I was half-undressed when the sound of his mother's voice pierced through our bliss, "Are you two okay down there?! Elijah is crying and he keeps asking for his mama!"

"So much for that…" I groaned, slipping my shirt back over my head.

"Fuckkk…" Van grumbled, "I… I'll be up in a second, I need to get rid of… something…"

"Just don't ruin the sheets," I chuckled as I headed upstairs. Yeah… we needed a vacation.

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"So did you guys finally pick a place for your honeymoon?" Selphie asked me, pawing through the different polish colors at the nail salon.

I nodded, "Yepp! We're spending two weeks at the Atlantica Resort and Spa. It's got this huge indoor waterpark, and the spa is supposed to be absolutely amazing. I can't wait… I'm just concerned about the twins. Two weeks is an awfully long time…"

"Oh stop… you need the time away. Your parents can handle them, and I'll check in every couple days and report back to you. I promise… those babies couldn't be safer with the support system they've got."

"I know, I know…" I sighed, picking out a gorgeous sapphire blue color that matched my eyes, "Hey, could this be my something blue? I am in love with this color!"

She squealed, "Oh my God, yes! That's perfect, and it'll look gorgeous on you! Omg, you should do blue french tips on your fingers with a white design, and then do your toes the same blue. That would be sooo cute!"

"Are you trying to match your dress or compliment it?" I wondered. Of course, Selph was my maid of honor.

"I should totally use your accent color! I mean, I totally love the plum and gold theme, so doing gold nails would look amazing with my dress."

I smiled and grabbed a golden polish that matched our centerpieces perfectly, "Oh my God, you should definitely use this one!"

"I can't believe you're getting remarried… 24 years old and already on your second marriage!" she giggled as we had our nails done. "And I can't believe my own wedding is only 6 months away… Tidus is starting to get really antsy, especially with all the planning I've been helping with for yours."

"I'm pretty sure he'd take you to city hall and marry you right now if you called him," I laughed, a bit intrigued by how much he loved her. Even when he found out that she slept with Wakka, he didn't let it falter his love for her even a little.

She shook her head, "Nope… if I'm going to lock this down, I'm going to do it right. I want the works, just like Van is doing for you. I think he might be more excited about the wedding itself than you are!"

"I mean… of course I'm super excited to marry him, but I didn't expect it to turn into this huge thing, you know? My wedding with Sora was so simple… but Van is making me feel like a princess or something. He's kind of perfect…"

"You're so lucky, Kairi… I know that you had to go through some shit, but to have your life end up where it is right now? Getting married to the love of your life, your ex-husband happily dating a great guy and ending up good friends with them both, having two perfect little babies? I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of jealous."

I snorted a little, "Oh whatever… you've got a guy worshipping the ground you walk on. You have no reason to be jealous of me."

Okay, so my life was kind of perfect. Things with Vanitas couldn't be going better… He was a wonderful father, and I knew he would be an amazing husband. With Sora… life just seemed kind of bland. Van gives off a little spark of excitement that just keeps everything interesting. He's never afraid to try new things, and he's open to anything.

But I couldn't fight the feeling that something horrible was going to happen. …And soon.

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 **A/N:** Okay, so maybe this wasn't a super exciting chapter… but yay, they're getting married! Don't worry, there's drama to come! But I needed to transition with the time skip and everything… Just to clarify, the twins are 15 months old, so 1 year and 3 months. Eli is walking (unsteadily) and can say a few words (mama, dada, papa, etc.) Reagan is blind, and she can't quite say real words yet. She can pull herself to her feet, but doesn't seem to be walking yet. She can usually take a couple steps, but then she'll fall down.

I hope that you guys are as excited as I am to get this story back up and going! Please please please leave me some reviews!

Love ya,

 _Simply Rexene_


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